Swahili Names of Fish & Seafood
On the Tanzanian coast, fish and seafood are bought and sold by their Swahili names. This glossary gives the English for the names you will hear at a landing site, a market or on a supplier’s WhatsApp, plus a few words and phrases for ordering. Samaki simply means fish.
Shellfish, octopus and squid
Kamba: prawns and shrimp, from small to jumbo tiger prawns.
Kamba koche: spiny lobster. Note the difference: kamba alone means prawns.
Kaa: crab, including the mangrove mud crab.
Pweza: octopus.
Ngisi: squid (calamari).
Chaza: oysters. (We do not currently list oysters.)
Sea fish
Nguru: kingfish, the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, with firm white meat.
Jodari: tuna, usually yellowfin.
Changu: emperor fish, the reef fish often sold as snapper.
Chewa: grouper.
Kolekole: trevally and jacks.
Kibua: Indian mackerel.
Pono: parrotfish.
Mkizi: mullet.
Dagaa: small sardine-like fish, usually sold dried.
Lake fish
Sato: tilapia.
Sangara: Nile perch, often sold as skinless fillets.
Both come from Lake Victoria and other lakes. Samaki Direct supplies both whole from Lake Victoria, through Mwanza, cleaned and graded and sold by weight.
Market and ordering words
Samaki wabichi: fresh (raw) fish. Samaki waliogandishwa: frozen fish.
Minofu: fillets. Vipande: pieces or steaks. Barafu: ice. Mwalo: a fish landing site.
Bei: price. Kilo: kilogram. Kusafisha: to clean (gut and scale).
“Nataka kilo mbili za kamba.” I would like two kilos of prawns.
“Bei ya pweza ni shilingi ngapi kwa kilo?” How much is octopus per kilo?
“Naomba msafishe samaki.” Please clean the fish for me.